The present invention relates to a conveyor system for transporting goods. The system has a conveyor belt or the like to which supporting beams which are oriented transversely with respect to its direction of movement are attached, and it also has two supporting webs arranged at a vertical distance from one another, are each formed by two supporting cables and along which rollers which are arranged at the lateral ends of the supporting beams can be moved.
In such a conveyor system, which is described in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,454 and my European published patent document EP 745 545, it is possible, when there are large bearing distances of the supporting cables and when strong wind forces are acting, for the supporting cables not to have the necessary positional stability with respect to one another but instead change in their position with respect to one another to such a degree that the supporting rollers derail from the supporting cables. As a result, of course, the system is no longer operative.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a conveyor system, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which is improved to the extent that satisfactory operation is ensured even under unfavorable wind conditions.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a conveyor system for transporting goods, comprising:
a conveyor belt disposed to move along a given transport direction;
supporting beams connected to the conveyor belt and orientated transversely with respect to the given transport direction, the supporting beams having lateral ends;
two pairs of supporting cables disposed at a vertical spacing distance from one another and defining two vertically spaced-apart transport tracks;
rollers disposed at the lateral ends of the supporting beams for rolling on the supporting cables; and
plurality of retaining frames connecting the supporting cables to one another.
In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved in that the supporting cables are rigidly connected to one another by a multiplicity of retaining frames.
The retaining frames are preferably embodied with two at least approximately vertically oriented beams and with at least two struts which connect the latter to one another and are at least approximately horizontally oriented. The struts are attached to the supporting cables by way of clamps. Here, the at least approximately vertical beams can be connected by further, at least approximately horizontal struts on which guide devices for the conveyor belt are arranged.
According to one preferred embodiment, a cover is attached to the retaining frames, or a housing which encloses the conveyor belt on at least a plurality of sides is attached to the retaining frame.
In addition, the clamps are preferably embodied with a device for boosting the clamping force. Here, the clamps can be embodied with two clamping jaws which can pivot with respect to one another and which are each embodied with a conical, arched or beveled face and to which supporting clips which are embodied with conical faces are assigned, as a result of which the pressing of the clamping jaws against the supporting cables is boosted when the supporting clips are loaded.
In addition, further cables which are also connected to the retaining frames can be provided above the upper pair of supporting cables.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a conveyor system, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.